The question remains: Is fishing a sport or a hobby? This question has stirred up many debates; there are those who believe fishing is just a leisurely activity that can never be a seen as a sport. But what classifies a sport as a sport? A sport is an activity that is competitive and requires some skill but can still be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of size, strength or even disability. When you think about fishing, it does require some physical exertion, ability and skill. Is it a competition though? And the answer to that is: Yes, sometimes. Fishing is all about the context in terms of whether it is undertaken as a sport or not. There are five factors that highlight fishing as a sport.

Anglers and athletes have a lot in common. If you have to fight with a large fish for 15 minutes, a lot of strength and stamina goes into landing that fish. Anglers who go after big game fish are completely wiped out after a long struggle with a monster fish. In fact, most anglers are more tired than a table tennis player after a long and enduring match. Just like any athlete, anglers also have those pillars in life that greatly affect their performance while fishing – for example sleep, diet, studying and training. This hobby-turned-sport that is known as fishing keeps anglers physically fit by helping them burn unwanted calories, and also helps maintain a healthy mind and body.

All sports enable participants to have some cardiovascular and high-intensity workouts. Many may think that fishing is just about sitting on a cooler and relaxing with bait in the water. But traversing coarse terrain and slippery rocks while wading against the current certainly challenges an angler’s balance. Hiking up steep slopes or riverbanks builds muscular strength, particularly in the legs and feet, not to mention that casting and reeling repeatedly test precision and accuracy through hand-eye co-ordination. Fishing also strengthens muscles in the hands, wrists, forearms, biceps, triceps and shoulders.
Comprehensive research shows that science has supported these findings about the physical benefits of fishing for years. Leisure fishing has been widely utilised as a rehabilitation therapy by psychologists, counsellors and physical therapists. To avid anglers, though, fishing is definitely a sport! Either way, whether leisure activity or sport, anglers will obtain some kind of exercise while fishing.

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